Naso-pharyngeal-esophageal device



July 12, 1966 I R. A. BERMAN 3,260,258

NASO-PHARYNGEAL-ESOPHAGEAL DEVICE Filed June 10, 1963 ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent 3,260,258 NASO-PHARYNGEAL-ESOPHAGEAL DEVICE Robert A.Berman, Far Rockaway, N.Y., assignor to Medical Plastics Inc., Jamaica,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 10, 1963, Ser. No. 286,809 2Claims. (Cl. 12829) The present invention relates to a nasal respiratorydevice, and it particularly relates to a nasal respiratory device forinsertion into a nostril or nostrils of a patient.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a simplereadily manufactured respiratory nasal device which will be useful inassuring breathing through the nostrils and which will be readilyapplied during emergency without difficulty by medical personnel or bymedical technicians or even by laymen in an emergency to assurebreathing.

Another object is to provide a respiratory nasal device which may beapplied in case of collapse of nasal breathing passages in which may bereadily included in emergency kits either for ambulance drivers, doctorsor in the hospital or home, in case of any blockage or stoppage inbreathing through the mouth or because of action of the tongue.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detaileddescription set forth below, it being understood, however, that thismore detailed description is given byway of illustration and explanationonly and not by way of limitation, since various changes therein may bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects, it has been found most satisfactoryaccording to one embodiment of the present invention to provide a simplerespiratory nasal device which will have a substantially rounded crosssection and may be made of an inert flexible desirably transparentplastic material.

Although the preferred plastic material is vinyl polymer or polyethyleneor polypropylene, it may also be made of suitable plastic which will beflexible and yet not subject to attack by nasal fluids such as nylon.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact thatthe plastic material although soft and flexible and subject to beingtwisted and bent will nevertheless have axial rigidity, and it may bereadily inserted by force longitudinally while at the same time thedevice may be twisted or turned during the insertion process.

The device should also be capable of substantial transverse compressionwithout losing its predetermined cross sectional area.

In the preferred form of the invention, the material is extruded inelongated lengths so as to have opposite channels therein which willhave indented round or cylindrical edges turned inside of the outercontour or circumference.

Desirably, the shape of the device should be such as to conform readilyto the cross section of the nostril particularly to the portion thereofof minimum diameter and then extend sufficiently so that the end willproject in back of the tongue and enter either the trachea, larynx oresophagus.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact thatthe air which is inserted therein under substantial blowing pressurewill not be constricted to flow only out of the end of the elongatedmember but will also readily pass from the sides thereof so that it willnot be forced into the digestive tract but will be released into thetrachea or larynx without blowing up the stomach or digestive tract.

It has been found most desirable that the device is somewhat ovular incross section rather than cylindrical with a width between thechannels'therein of about 3 to greater than the width across thechannels.

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The preferred construction involves a base or spacing between theopposite channels which is equivalent to at least 50% of the thicknessof the airway to give longitudinal rigidity while permitting twistingand bending transversely.

Another feature of the present invention is that it has been founddesirable to form the outer walls of the airways so that the resinplastic material adjacent the outer walls and particularly at the edgesof the channel will be somewhat stiffer and more polymerized than theinterior plastic material so that the outer surface will be stilfer andless flexible than the interior resinous material.

Desirably this is accomplished by extruding the polyme-rized material ata temperature of about 270 to 350 F. following which the material iscooled to about one-half of the extrusion material and then subjected toa surface heating as by being drawn through another die so that itresults in a further polymerization of the outer face.

This die may conform to the shape of the cross section and by slightconverging in its exit end so as to result in a slight decrease in thetransverse dimension while giving mere superficial heating to thesurface ranging at a temperature of 250 to 325 F.

The intermediate section between the passageways desirably should be atleast as deep as the passageways and in the preferred form, about thesame width as the depth of the passageways.

Desirably, the web should be of greater length than the outside width ofthe passageways, and the bottom of the passageways should be curved withthe passageways themselves having an elliptical cross section about thesame as the elliptical cross section of the external diameter in respectto maximum and minimum dimensions.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that thedevice should readily enter the area in back of the tongue and force thetongue away from the passageway and into the lungs so that adequaterespiration may be achieved or air supplied.

It is also desirable to have an inlet handle and stop element which willstop against the ends of the nostril which will have an exit portionhaving exterior or interior conical or tapered facing, one for jamminginto the nose and the other for fitting into the inlet to the nasalpassageway with an intermediate stop.

The stop portion desirably projects so that it may serve as a convenient'finger grip member while the external portion of the end piece willserve as a means of attaching a source of air or oxygen under pressureor even to permit blowing by a person to assure supply of sufiicient airinto the lung passageways.

The device should be of sufficient strength to force its way pastcollapsed nasal passageways or collapsed walls of the larynx so as toforce the tongue away from the inlet to the passageways to the lungs.

It is important that the device be cut to such length as to extend intothe upper part of the larynx or the upper part of the windpipe.

Although it is undesirable that it extend into the pharynx which the theupper part of the alimentary canal or esophagus, neverthless, theconstruction of the device is such that the air will be readily releasedinto the passageways even though the end of the device may extend beyondand into the passageway which is supplied with air or oxygen.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the manner ofinsertion of the :nasal device of the present invention with the nasaldevice being shown in side elevation.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the entire nasal device showing theend piece separated from the length thereof.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken upon the line 33 of FIG. 2with the end piece in position partly broken away so as to shorten theend thereof and upon an enlarged scale as compared to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken upon the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic transverse sectional view of the elongateddevice as shown in FIG. 4 more clearly to show the edge thereof upon anenlarged scale as compared to FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a transverse fragmentary alternative type formation similar toFIG. 3 and upon the same scale as FIG. 3 showing the different types ofrounded ends.

FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view showing an alternative crosssectional structure similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 and about the same scale ascompared to FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, there is shown the nasal device ornaso-pharyngeal-esophageal device A of the present invention which hasan end piece B serving both as a handle and as an inserting device andwhich is designed to be inserted into the nasal passageway C.

The device may have a length ranging from 4 to 8" the lesser dimensionbeing for children or infants and the maximum length being for adultswhile the intermediate stages are for children of various ages.

Desirably three sizes have been found to be most adequate, the 7 /2 to8" length being for adults, the 5 to 6" length being for intermediateages and the 3 to 4" length being for infants or young children.

Desirably, the maximum diameter should range not in excess of to A3" foradults to As to 7 for infants.

The passageways should at all times not exceed 50% of the total crosssectional area.

Although one passageway should be utilized having a cross sectional areaof about A1 to /8" of the total cross sectional area, nevertheless, ithas been found most desirable to have two opposite passageways each ofapproximately elliptical cross section and each occupying about 7 to A"of the total cross sectional area.

Desirably, the passageways should have curved and rounded wallsgradually decreasing in thickness outwardly toward the walls of themember so that at their extreme outer edges, they will have a thicknessof about /2 to A1 of their base thickness and subject to beingcompressed inwardly to somewhat close the outer portion of thepassageway and somewhat flatten the sides of the device.

At the same time the device should be of such a nature that theflexibility of the interior separating wall will permit collapse of themaximum diameter by 10 to under pressure without loss of substantialpassageway area.

Referring particularly to the cross section shown in FIG. 4, theextruded cross section A will have a central web or wall 10, the widthof which will be about 50% of the maximum diameter although it may rangefrom 35 to 55%.

The exterior faces 11 at the ends of the web are desirably rounded orelliptical and they are spaced apart a distance of 5 to 15% greater thanthe opposite side walls so as to give a suitable elliptical constructionor cross section.

The channels 12 and 13 are also of elliptical cross section, which isflattened in respect to the cross section of the nasal device as well asthe side walls 14 which terminate in the beaded edges 15.

These beaded edges are desirably turned slightly inwardly away from theconstruction of the ellipse, and at their outer edges as indicated at16, they have about onehalf the thickness at the base as indicated at17.

Desirably the edges 16 are beaded so as to have a semicylindrical crosssection as best indicated in the diagrammatic showing of FIG. 5.

The tip 18 of the airway desirably has the rounded edges 19 which in thepreferred form are semi-spherical, but which may be given slight roundsextending over 90 degrees from the beads 15 into the central web 10leaving the tip end of the central web flat.

FIG. 2 shows the latter construction whereas FIG. 6 shows an alternativeconstruction where the entire end portion 18 has the spherical sides 19,similarly functioning parts being indicated by the same numerals as inFIGS. 2 and 3 except that they are provided with a prime.

Depending upon the plastic, it is also possible to have a sharp edgeconstruction as indicated in FIG. 7 where the edge is unbeaded, and thebase of the channel has substantially straight sides.

In FIG. 7, it will be noted that the interior wall 30 has the straightsides 31 and the dished side faces 32 terminating in the fairly sharpedge portions 33.

This construction permits more ready collapsing of the edges toward oneanother and flattening of the two than in the cross section shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, and is particularly desirably used where the nasalpassageway is held open in a direction parallel and between the cavitiesor channels 34 while the channels 34 themselves may be reduced in areaby pressing inwardly of the sharp edge walls 33.

In this construction, the central web or wall should be at least 50 to60% of the width of the total airway and cross sectional thickness, andit should extend between the channels 34 at least 60 to of the longdimension indicated by the double headed area 35.

The base end 40 of the airway may be cut off as indi cated at 41transversely or it may be slightly tapered inwardly so as to be tightlyclamped into the end piece or mouth piece B.

The mouth piece B desirably has a tapered end portion 42 or conicalshape to be tightly fitted into the inlet 43 of the nasal passageway,and it has an intermediate handle section 44 which is rough or rigid soas to enable ready grasping thereof.

The end mouth piece or air pressure connection 45 is desirablycylindrical and may be used either by the mouth or be attached to arubber hose for :air or pressure to the nasal device A.

The connecting passageway or insert 46 receives the end 40 of the nasaldevice which is wedged therein, and this should terminate about at thehandle extension 44.

The interior should have the enlargement 47 which tapers downwardlytoward the cylindrical and widened inlet passageway 48.

Desirably, the extension 44 acts both as a stop against the nasalpassageway as well as a stop for any elongated device or the lips ifthey are used upon the wide portion 45 for blowing air or oxygen intothe trachea, or cavity behind the tongue.

The mouthpiece B is desirably formed of a relatively stiff rigid plasticmolded resinous material such as polystyrene or cellulose acetatewhereas the elongated nasal device A is formed of an extruded plasticmaterial.

Both materials are desirably surface polymerized after being formed soas to be resilient to the action of nasal and other body fluids whichmight tend to act upon them.

They should be surface hardened so that theymay be absorptive so thatthey may be sterilized and so that the outer surface will be fullypolymerize-d so that-no further polymerization or change in dimensionwill take place even though the assembled device as shown in FIGS. 1 and2 will be permitted to stand for many months or sometimes for manyyears.

The plasticizer that may be used in connection with the exterior informing the elongated element A which may.

be dioctyl phthalate desirably should be kept to less than 25% anddesirably between 5 and 25%.

By means of surface heating as a final finishing operation, suchplasticizer should be removed from the exterior surface and concentratedin the interior of the material.

The end piece B is desirably devoid of plasticizer material.

The device is particularly suitable in that it may be readily insertedwith or without the addition of lubricant although a thin layer oflubricant such as petroleum jelly may be utilized, and it will beinserted into the upper part of the trachea and then forced through thenasal passageway until the end element B is stopped against the nasalinlet 43.

It will be particularly effective when the mouth is closed as llf thejaw has been broken, and it is necessary to wire the mouth together orWhere the tongue has fallen back and sealed the passageway.

It will be etfective in forcing the tongue forward and also permittingair to flow into the trachea or larynx even though the tip end of thedevice may pass into the esophagus.

It is much superior to a tube in that it will not kink or bend and willnot tend to force all air into the esophagus and into the digestivetract since the air may readily pass through the sides of the elongateddevice.

As many changes could be made in the above nasopharyngeal-esophagealdevice, and many Widely different embodiments of this invention could bemade without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description shall be interpreted asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of theinvention, and in What manner the same is to be performed, what isclaimed is:

1. An elongated naso-pharyngeal esophageal device for insertion througha nasal passageway to penetrate into the upper trachea and esophagealpassageway, said device having an elongated body section of inertplastic material, said body section having in cross section pairs oflatterly extending convexially arcuate portions and a connecting webportion integrally connected at its side edges to said arcuate portions,the interior of the respective concave sides of said arcuate portionsforming passageways on each side of the webportion, the ends of thearcuate portions being spaced apart and having beads formed thereon anda tubular end piece fitted about the end of said body section, said endpiece having such outer diameter as to fit into a nostril and said endpiece having a circumferential outwardly extending circular flange whichacts as a stop to prevent undue penetration of said end piece into anostril, said device enabling gases to be introduced into the lung of aperson.

2. The device of claim 1, said end of said device remote from the endcarrying said end piece being rounded and bevelled and said web beingrelatively thick and heavy as compared to the thickness of the arcuateportions and said arcuate portions being turned inward-1y on each sideof said W613 towards each other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 883,583 3/ 1908Stallsmith 12824O 1,406,141 2/ 1922 Anston 12 8Q,9 1,507,475 9/ 1924Flagg 128250 2,135,052 11/1938 Rose 128--250 2,599,521 6/1952 Berman128208 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,029,127 4/ 1958 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

C. F. ROSENBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ELONGATED NASO-PHARYNGEAL ESOPHAGEAL DEVICE FOR INSERTION THROUGHA NASAL PASSAGEWAY TO PENETRATE INTO THE UPPER TRACHEA AND ESOPHAGEALPASSAGEWAY, SAID DEVICE HAVING AN ELONGATED BODY SECTION OF INERTPLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID BODY SECTION HAVING IN CROSS SECTION PAIRS OFLATTERLY EXTENDING CONVEXIALLY ARCUATE PORTIONS AND A CONNECTING WEBPORTION INTEGRALLY CONNECTED AT ITS SIDE EDGES TO SAID ARCUATE PORTIONS,THE INTERIOR OF THE RESPECTIVE CONCAVE SIDES OF SAID ARCUATE PORTIONSFORMING PASSAGEWAYS ON EACH SIDE OF THE WEB PORTION, THE ENDS OF THEARCUATE PORTIONS BEING SPACED APART AND HAVING BEADS FORMED THEREON ANDA TUBULAR END PIECE FITTED ABOUT THE END OF SAID BODY SECTION, SAID ENDPIECE HAVING SUCH OUTER DIAMETER AS TO FIT INTO A NOSTRIL AND SAID ENDPIECE HAVING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL OUTWARDLY EXTENDING CIRCULAR FLANGE WHICHACTS AS A STOP TO PREVENT UNDUE PENETRATION OF SAID END PIECE INTO ANOSTRIL, SAID DEVICE ENABLING GASES TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LUNG OF APERSON.